I do happen to enjoy bread, and find that is a necessity for certain meals. Occasionally, I will settle for the ninety-nine cent bread deal of the day at the local grocery store just because it is convenient and gets the job done. More often than not, however, I will buy bread that is freshly prepared by one of the many excellent local bakeries in my area. What I find interesting is that the deal of the day bread often lasts for weeks in the bread drawer. If I put my fresh bakery bread in the same drawer, then my half-basket sour dough Francese develops mold within a few days. Why you may ask? Of course the answer lies in the use of preservatives. The storage needs and lifespan of foods with preservatives and without are remarkably different.
At the same time, there is a trend toward cooking from scratch using fresh produce grown at local farms. Consumers are demanding fresh, and expecting clean labels when they choose to add prepared foods to their diet. It seems to me all this fresh food is going to lead to some fresh leftovers that don’t contain any hint of preservatives, and require some well-designed food storage options. Fortunately, industry suppliers are answering the call, and creating a wide variety of storage products that can help keep ingredients fresh longer, as well as keeping our leftover meals as fresh as the day we made them.
If you consider for a moment that our Millennial customers are living in the city in greater numbers. Attending the local farmers market once a week to source their ingredients. Cooking for themselves and perhaps a significant other. Chances are they have to buy more than they can eat in one sitting. Compound that with the fact they often have smaller refrigerators and freezers, where maximizing storage is key. You can easily see why having the right food storage options is quite an essential need.
I think the food storage category deserves greater attention because many current trends will lead consumers to the conclusion that re-sealable plastic bags are only gong to get you so far. With consumers buying better and more expensive ingredients, the cost of food waste is only climbing. It’s going to make financial sense for such consumers to invest in good quality food storage solutions. In this issue we report on some of the latest products in the food storage category coming to market for you to consider adding to your assortment.
David Spencer
Publisher, Gourmet Business
dspencer@gourmetbusiness.com